Tony Soprano

Anthony John "Tony" Soprano (1960-) was boss of the DiMeo crime family of New Jersey. The son of family capo Johnny Soprano, Tony Soprano seized power as the result of a power struggle with his uncle, Corrado "Junior" Soprano, Jr., from 1999 to 2000. Soprano had to deal with issues such as the FBI infiltration of his family, insubordinate underlings, and war with the Lupertazzi crime family, and he escaped conviction for his 1982 murder of Willie Overall after the late Richie Aprile was blamed instead.

Biography
Anthony John Soprano was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1961, the son of DiMeo crime family capo Johnny Soprano and his wife Livia. His grandfather Corrado Soprano Sr. emigrated to America from Avellino, Campania, Italy in 1910 and worked as a master stonemason. Tony and his siblings Janice and Barbara grew up in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, and he met his future bride Carmela DeAngelis in high school. Soprano attended Seton Hall University before dropping out to pursue a life of crime, and he ran with a gang of youths including Silvio Dante, Ralph Cifaretto, and Jackie Aprile Sr.. He committed his first murder in 1982, killing a small-time bookie named Willie Overall.

Following his father's death in 1986, Soprano became captain of his father's old crew. Silvio Dante joined his crew, while he also befriended Paulie Gualtieri and Salvatore Bonpensiero. In 1995, Jackie Aprile Sr. became acting boss of the DiMeo family after the elderly boss Ercoli DiMeo was imprisoned, and Jackie's death from intestinal cancer in mid-1999 led to a power struggle between Tony and his uncle, Junior Soprano. Soprano was nearly assassinated by two African-American hitmen employed by Junior, and he retaliated by having Junior's crew members Chucky Signore and Mikey Palmice whacked. Soprano ended the war before it started by letting Junior become boss, but Junior instead served as a lightning rod for the FBI as Tony became street boss in 2000.

Soprano would struggle to balance the needs of his actual family (his wife Carmela, daughter Meadow, son Anthony John Jr. "AJ", and mother Livia) with those of the Mafia family that he controlled. Soprano had mental issues, as he was a violent sociopath who struggled with depression and was prone to panic attacks. He sought treatment from Dr. Jennifer Melfi in Montclair, but they ended their professional relationship due to her desire to avoid being dragged into Soprano's world of crime.

Soprano also had to deal with problems both inside and outside of his Mafia family. He had to have close friends and family members such as Ralph Cifaretto, Salvatore Bonpensiero, Tony Blundetto, and Christopher Moltisanti murdered for various reasons. Cifaretto was murdered for killing Soprano's prized racehorse, Bonpensiero was murdered for acting as an FBI informant, Blundetto was murdered for creating bad blood with the Lupertazzi crime family, and Moltisanti was murdered for his rash actions and his drug use. Soprano's rivalry with his uncle Junior eventually calmed, but a delirious Junior shot Tony on one occasion, sending Soprano into a coma (with Silvio Dante acting as boss). After recovering, Soprano had to deal with the threat posed by the Lupertazzis and their boss, Phil Leotardo, and he went to war with the Lupertazzis in 2007 due to their repeated interference in his family's affairs. Soprano lost friends such as Bobby Baccalieri and Silvio Dante, but he retaliated by having Leotardo whacked at a Raceway gas station. With the Lupertazzis forced to make peace, Soprano was confirmed as the boss of New Jersey.